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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Zero Oil/Butter Shahi Paneer ( Zero Oil Series )

I am back after a hiatus with yet another worthy Zero Oil recipe ! Yes, I would to make it more frequent but it takes time and patience to perfect the formula. And that too with a energetic five year old running around. This time it is a vegetarian recipe as I have cut down on the intake of non-veg in my quest to lose weight and make my periods more regular. During my last chat with the gynec, I came to know that lifestyle is the primary reason why women suffer from PCOD and related problems. So, it is important to eat right and keep working out !

Shahi Paneer is a dish that instantly elevates the level of any meal . Though it is not a difficult dish to prepare, the richness and aromatic nature of the ingredients used makes it seem all the more special. While it definitely does not need the additional garnishing of fresh cream or butter that lots of restaurants love to put in, I went a step ahead and excluded the oil as well. And to keep those flavors intact during the cooking process, I choose to do it using the 'dum' method .

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

200 gm paneer (Cottage Cheese )

1 medium sized onion

4-5 garlic cloves

1/2 inch ginger

8 almonds

1 tsp char magaz (melon seeds)

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 inch cinnamon

3 cloves

1 green cardamom

1 tsp kasuri methi

a pinch of saffron

1 cup yogurt

salt to taste

For marinating the paneer -

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

2 pinch garam masala

salt to taste

3 tsp milk

Preparation - Blanch and peel the almonds.

Take the red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and make a paste.

Cut the paneer into cubes or triangles and add to the bowl. Slather the marinade all over the paneer pieces.

Cooking - Heat a nonstick skillet and add the whole spices. Roast till you get the aroma. Remove and keep aside.

Next add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Keep roasting on low till a little browning is to be seen and the raw smell goes off.

Transfer to a blender jar along with the roasted spices, almonds, poppy seeds and lemon seeds. Make a smooth paste out of the ingredients.

Now take the marinated paneer, onion paste, hung yogurt, saffron and kasuri methi in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and toss everything together. Add 2-3 tsp water if you think it looks too thick.

Transfer to a pot or handi ( I used an earthen one ) and seal the mouth with foil and dough.

Heat a tawa and place the sealed pot on it. Let it cook on really low flame for 20 mins.

Remove and let it stand for another 10 mins or till you need to serve it.